The Singapore Literature Prize (abbreviation: SLP) is a biennial award in Singapore to recognise outstanding published works by Singaporean authors in any of the four official languages: Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. The competition is organised by the National Book Development Council of Singapore (NBDCS) with the support of the National Arts Council and the National Library Board.
The Award was briefly discontinued in 1999 and 2002 due to economic problems.[1]
2016
The 2016 edition received the most submissions ever in its 25-year history: 235 entries, compared to 2014's 182 and 2012's 57, with fiction receiving the most submissions.[4]
Fiction
- English
- Chinese
- Commendation: 谢裕民 (Chia Joo Ming) - Exile or Pursuit《放逐与追逐》
- Commendation: 张挥 (Cheong Weng Yat aka Zhang Hui) - Shuang Kou Ding Yi Cun 《双口鼎一村－那些年那些事》
- Merit: 英培安 (Yeng Pway Ngon) - Opera Costume 《戲服》
- Malay
- Winner: Peter Augustine Goh - Air Mata di Arafah
- Peter Augustine Goh - Bayang-Bayang Yang Hilang
- Suratman Markasan - Dari Perang Datang Sampai Kamoe San Masuk Melayu
- Leyla Shuri - Terbelah Bintang Subaru
- Tamil
- Winner: Sithuraj Ponraj - Maariligal
- Krishnamurthi Mathangi - Melbaculaso
- Suriya Rethnna - Paramapadham
Poetry
- English
- Co-winner: Cyril Wong - The Lover's Inventory
- Co-winner: Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingde - I Didn’t Know Mani Was a Conceptualist
- Eric Tinsay Valles - After the Fall: Dirges Among Ruins
- Tse Hao Guang - Deeds of Light
- Gwee Li Sui - One Thousand and One Nights
- Cheryl Julia Lee - We Were Always Eating Expired Things
- Chinese
- Merit: 吳耀宗 (Gabriel Wu) - Live Where the Imagination Is 《逐想像而居》
- Merit: 陈维彪 (Tang Jui Piow) - The Sea Diary 《航海纪事》
- 沈璧浩 (Sim Piak How) - A City's Story《都市录》
- Malay
- Winner: Hamed Ismail, Hartinah Ahmad, and Samsudin Said - Tafsiran Tiga Alam
- Noor Aisya bte Buang - Kastil Aisya
- Leo Suryadinatan - Kota Singa
- Tamil
- Merit: Varadharajan AK - 4 Flowered Garland for Singapore
- Merit: Sithuraj Ponraj - Kaatraai Kadanthaai
- Naa Aandeappan - Adolescent Love
- Malarvizhi Elangovan - Alai Pidunkiya Sorkal
- Saba Muthunatarajan - The Face of the Soul
- Segar s/o Muniandy - Kaivilakku Kadavul
Non-fiction
- English
- Co-winner: Danielle Lim - The Sound of Sch: A Mental Breakdown, A Life Journey
- Co-winner: Peh Shing Huei - When the Party Ends
- You Jin, trans. Shelly Bryant - In Time, Out of Place
- Loke Hoe Yeong - Let the People Have Him
- Ning Cai - Who is Magic Babe Ning?
- Chinese
- Winner: 陈加昌 (Chin Kah Chong) - LKY Whom I Knew 《我所知道的李光耀》
- 尤今 (You Jin) - Father and I《父亲与我》
- 李慧敏 (Lee Hui Min) - Growing Up in the Era of Lee Kuan Yew 《成长在李光耀时代》
- 李国樑 (Lee Kok Leong) - Guangdong Majie 《广东妈姐》
- 柯思仁 (Quah Sy Ren) - Tea Time in Spring With Poetry 《以诗和春光佐茶》
- Malay
- Merit: Ahmad Azmi bin Haji Mohamed Ishak - Rentak Rebana
- Commendation: Hafiza Talib - Sekolahku Tinggal Kenangan
- Tamil
- Commendation: Kotti Thirumuruganandam - CK Makadoom Saiboo and Singai Nes
- Commendation: Varadharajan AK - Kamban Kaattum Kanaikal
- Commendation: Mohamed Kassim Shanavas - Nanavu Desam SG50
- Commendation: SP Panneer Selvam - Singapore Tamil Munnodigal[5]
2014
For the first time, the award offered 12 top prizes of up to $10,000 each for the best works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry in Chinese, English, Malay and Tamil. In previous years, fiction competed with poetry for one award in each language.
In July 2014, three judges of the English non-fiction category of the prize resigned in protest against the National Library Board's removal and pulping of controversial children's titles. Mr T. Sasitharan, a prominent arts educator; former journalist Romen Bose; and American author and Writer-in-Residence at Yale-NUS College, Robin Hemley were subsequently replaced.[6] The Prize also received flak for perhaps spreading itself too thin, and for naming the non-fiction prizes after a sponsor, the publisher World Scientific.[7]
A day after the winners were announced at an awards ceremony on 4 November 2014, poet-editor Grace Chia, whose poetry collection Cordelia was shortlisted but did not win in the English Poetry section, delivered a speech in absentia at the Singapore Writers Festival which accused the Prize of sexism. Chia wrote, "The fact that the prize has been given to two co-winners who are both male poets is deeply informing of choice, taste and affirmation. A prize so coveted that it has been apportioned to two male narratives of poetic discourse, instead of one outstanding poet - reeks of an engendered privilege that continues to plague this nation's literary community." Chia also posted her speech on Facebook before subsequently removing it. In response, one of the poetry judges, poet and literary critic Gwee Li Sui, said, "All entries have an equal chance of consideration for winning, and we discussed it based on that point alone, and on the strengths of the collections." The other poetry judges were prominent female poet Leong Liew Geok and poet Boey Kim Cheng.[8]
Fiction
- English
- Winner: Amanda Lee Koe - Ministry of Moral Panic
- Claire Tham - The Inlet
- O Thiam Chin - Love, or Something Like Love
- Audrey Chin - As the Heart Bones Break
- Chinese
- Winner: Lim Hung Chang (Lin Gao) - Weixingxiaoshuo(林高微型小说／林高)
- Lai Yong Taw - Ding Xiang (丁香／流军)
- Tham Yew Chin (You Jin) - Jin Se Dai Shu(金色袋鼠／尤今)
- Lee Xuan Lou - Shuang Cheng Zhi Lian(双城之恋／李选楼)
- Malay
- Winner: Yazid bin Hussein - Kumpulan Cerpen (Armageddon)
- Abdul Manaf bin Abdul Kadir - Suzan
- Anuar bin Othman - Tenggelamnya Kapal (Prince of Wales)
- Hassan Hasaa'ree Ali - Selamat Malam (Caesar)
- Yazid bin Hussein - Cahaya
- Mohd Pitchay Gani bin Mohd Abdul Aziz - Seking
- Tamil
- Winner: Mohamed Kassim Shanavas - Moontraavatu Kai
- Jayanthi Sankar - Muga Puthagamum Sila Agappakkangalum
- Suriya Rethnna - Naan
- Noorjehan binte Ahmadsha - Vergal
- Packinisamy Panneerselvam - Maaya
- Krishnamurthi Mathangi - Oru Kodi Dollargal
Poetry
- English
- Co-winner: Joshua Ip - Sonnets from the Singlish
- Co-winner: Yong Shu Hoong - The Viewing Party
- Grace Chia - Cordelia
- Theophilus Kwek - The Circle Line
- Tania De Rozario - Tender Delirium
- Koh Jee Leong - The Pillow Book
- Malay
- Winner: Johar Buang - Pasar Diri
- Peter Augustine Goh - Genta Cinta
- Ahmad Md Tahir - Aisberg Kesimpulan
- Hamed bin Ismail - Suara Dalam
- Yazid bin Hussein - nota (buat wangsa dan buanaku)
- Tamil
- Commendation: Krishnamurthi Mathangi – Malaigalin Parathal
- Samuel Nepolian Devakumar – Kaanaamal Pona Kavithaikal
- Chinnadurai Arumugam – Thagam
- Pichinikkadu Elango – Thoorikai Sirpangal
- Swaminathan Amirthalingam – Urakkach Cholvaen
Non-fiction
- English
- Co-winner: Lim Siong Guan - The Leader, The Teacher & You
- Co-winner: Josephine Chia - Kampong Spirit Gotong Royong: Life In Potong Pasir 1955 to 1965
- M. Ravi - Kampong Boy
- Hidayah Amin - The Mango Tree
- Fanny Lai - A Visual Celebration of Giant Pandas
- Chinese
- Merit: Dr Ho Nai Kiong - The Biography of My Father 何乃强《父亲平藩的一生》
- Merit: Tham Yew Chin (You Jin) - Even The Heart Soars 尤今《心也飞翔》
- Dr Ho Nai Kiong - The Death of Kings and Emperors 何乃强《医生读史笔记》
- Tham Yew Chin (You Jin) - Release Your Happiness 尤今《释放快乐》
- Malay
- Merit: Mohamed Latiff Mohamed - Alam Kepenyairan Singapura: Pengamatam dan Penciptaan
- Tamil
- Winner: Kotti Thirumuruganandam - Singapore Tamil Kavithai Varalaaru (History Of Singapore Tamil Poetry)
- Chitra Ramesh - Oru Nakarathin Kathai (Story Of A City)
- R Kalamohan - Sattamum Sambavangalum (Law And Incidents)
- Mohamed Kassim Shanavas - Ayal Pasi (Foreign Hunger)